Door for compresses



y 3, 1929. B. SHOEMAKER 1,721,839

DOOR FOR COMPRESSES Filed June 1928 Patented July 23, 1929.

1 UNITED STATES BENTON LAFAYETTE SHOEMAKER, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

DOOR FOR COMPRESSES.

Application filed June 15,

This invention relates to doors for compresses of the type that isusedfor compressing cotton for shipment.

The object of the invention is to provide a compress door which may beraised or lowered by the means of power, and, in addition to a verticalmovement, has a lateral movement for the purpose of pressing the bale infrom the sides, thereby further con- (lensing the bale and giving it abetter shape and proportion.

With this and further objects in view, which will definitely appear fromthe detailed description to follow, reference will now be had to theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this application in which:

Fig. 1--is a vertical section of a press showing the upper and lowerplaten in usual form, and a bale of cotton in'dotted lines in positionto be pressed and my improved doors in section and in a loweredposition.

Fig. 2-is a similar view to Fig. 1, but with my improved door in araised position and showing its displacement laterally.

Fig. 3is a front view of my improved door broken to conserve space butshowing the vital elements thereof.

In the drawings similar reference characters refer to similar partsthroughout the several views.

The character A represents the end of a compress, B is the top andstationary platen thereof against which the bale is pressed and C is themovable platen that exerts pressure against the bale-D is a cylinder andE is a piston for exerting force against the platen C.

Across the top of the press and connecting the two ends is the upperplaten support F. On the under side of this support and runninglengthwise thereof are cut channels 1 with beveled faces 2G are closemembers on each side of the press and extend across and connect the twoends. These members have beveled faces 3. The cylinders 4 give power tothe pistons 5, the ends of which are provided with blocks 6 on the uppersurface of which the rollers 7 journaled in the lower end of the door 8can move laterally. A beveled face 9 extending across the upper end ofthe door 8 is adapted to contact and slide against the beveled face 2 inthe channels 1 in the platen support F. Similar beveled faces 10extending across the lower end of the door 8 are adapted to contact and1928. Serial No. 285,704.

slide against the beveled faces 3 on the cross members Gr. Grooved ways11 are cut in the ends of the press A and have laterally extended ends12. These grooved ways are adapted to receive the lugs 13 on the upperends of the doors 8 which travel therein. Similar grooved ways 14 withlaterally extended ends 15 are adapted to receive the lugs 16 on thelower ends of the door 8. These lugs and grooves serve to hold the doorsin vertical alignment and permit a vertical movement while the laterallyextended ends 12 and 15 permit a lateral movement resulting from thebeveled ends of the door coming in contact with the beveled surface onthe press. It will be seen that as the doors move upward and theirbeveled ends contact the beveled surfaces on the press a lateralmovement results against the sides of the cotton bale H, pressing itinward and further reducmg its proportion.

While the structure described above is a preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is, of course, evident that various modifications andchanges could be made which would be within the spirit of this inventionwithout departing from the scope of the following claims.

l/Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a compress door, the combination with a compress, said compresshaving grooved ways'cut on the inner surface of its end walls, said waysbeing vertical with their I face, upon contact towards the center ofsaid. press, said press having cross members ex-' tending across andconnecting the ends of said press, said cross members being beveled ontheir inner faces, and adapted to dis place a beveled sliding surface,upon contact towards the center of said press, substantially asspecified. I

2. In a compress door, the combination with a compress as set forth inclaim 1, said door having beveled surfaces on its upper and lower endsextending across from side to side and adapted to contact, 1n itsvertical movement, a beveled surface on said compress and dlsplace same,laterally towards the center or said compress; said door having lugsextending outwardly from its fourcorners, said lugs adapted to travelvertically 1n grooved ways out 1n the ends of sa1d com- )ress a rollerbearln 1n the center and on the lower end of said door adapted to bearupon the end of a piston and permit both a vertical movement and alateral displacement ofsaid door, substantially as specified.

* In testimony whereof, I affix my signature hereto.

BENTON LAFAYETTE SHOEMAKER.

